Stringed musical instrument



N. TURTURRO STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT May 30, 1933.

Filed May 21, 1952 INVENTOR m BY LZATTORNEY Patented May 30, 1933 PATENT OFFICE NICOLA TURTURRO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

i STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Application filed May 21, 1932. Serial No. 612,681.

This invention relates to musical instruments of the general type exemplified by a guitar, banjo or violin. With regard to certain more specific features thereof it relates to instruments having a finger board or fret board on an attenuated neck, with strings which are tightened between points at the lower part of the body and points at the upper part of the neck.

Such instruments have a marked tendency to be influenced by temperature and humidity conditions to the extent of warping the long neck, which is generally of wood. This varies the proper relationship of the strings and thefrets and either destroys the tone of the instrument because of vibration of the strings against the frets or makes the playing action difficult as by creating undue space between the strings and frets. The tension of the strings is also a factor in producing warped neck conditions.

It has been attempted heretofore to control the relative positions of the strings and fret board in a guitar or other similar instrument by incorporating a metal rod therewith,

but in some instances these rods have consisted of tension rods extending only through the neck of the instrument and requiring access to the inside of the body to make adjustments. In some of the proposed devices a curved tension rod or truss requires special and laborious arcuate channelling of the neck to receive the rod.

The present invention has for one of its objects to provide a musical instrument of the class described with a simple, inexpensive and conveniently operable warp-resisting and control device.

Another object of the invention is to provide an untensioned strengthening rod for the neck and body of the instrument with conveniently accessible operating devices for moving an end of the rod at the'lower part of the body so as to deliberately warp the 5 instrument and bring about the desired relation between the strings and frets.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out particularly in the following description of a preferred form of the 0 invention.

The invention accordingly consists in the various features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified by the construc- 4' tion hereinafter set forth and the scope of t5 the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in longitudinal cross sec- I tion of a guitar embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a view of the rod a-ctuatin device shown at the right end of Fig. 1. Gne side plate of the gear casing is removed and certain parts are broken away to show more clearly the interior construction;

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation of the gear casing and rod actuating mechanism with the key and supporting bushing re moved, and

Fig. 4 is a view partly in section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a guitar indicated in Fig. 1 comprises a hollow body 10 having the usual block 11 at its lower end. A neck 12 is connected with the upper end of the body in conventional manner and lengthens into an upper head 13. Pegs 14 are located in the head 13 and serve to adjustably fix the upper ends of strings 15. The lower ends of the strings are secured to a bridge member 16 near the lower end of the body and are held normally spaced from fret-s 18 fixed on a fret board or finger board 19.

The neck 12 is longitudinally grooved to receive the upper portion 20 of a metal stem or rod 21, the lower portion 22 of which extends through the hollow body 10 and has its lower end 23 secured to a slide 24 adapted to be transversely movable within the body by 9 devices which will be described later.

The upper portion 20 of the rod 21 is firmly held in position in the groove in neck 12 by a filler piece 25 set and glued in the groove beneath the fret board 19.

An opening at the upper end of the neck adjacent the head 13 is closed by a throat plate 30 having secured thereto a wedgeshaped filler 31.

By this construction substantially the upper half of the rod is confined in the neck 12 whereas the lower half passes freely through the hollow body to the rod actuating device at the lower end thereof.

The rod actuating device comprises a metal ran e i0 havirg ve ical side plates ll and "oined in spa 'elatioi'i by an upper horied in position by suitable sci ew or ii" The plates are also held i1 spaced iel 0-1 by an angle block 455 having a horizon. g l6 through which screws or i pass to conn t the side and a threaded stem T boss. The lower end of the strengthening rod 21 is bored and interiorly threaded to receive the threaded projection 5i and connect the rod with the side The body block 11 is apertured at 60 to receive an interiorly threaded bushing 61 and the me'al irame elO for the rod actuating niecha is held in position against the inne of the block oy engagement of the 0:3 he sleeve with the in- -or threads on twior threads of bu; ring 61. The bushing is flange which engages the 1 s for tightly drawing the e 1-0 against the inner face of the bouv block.

The slide 2 is provided on its rear face with a rack TO which engages with a pinion 71 having a hub 72 rotatably mounted on a hello stud screw 73. This pinion is in engagement with a worm 75 cut on a shaft 76 which latter is ournalled in the upstanding leg elS of angle member d5 and in threaded sleeve 50. The shaft '76 extends rearwardly beyond the sleeve 50 and is provided with a wrench-faced end 78 adapt-ed to be engaged by a key '79 which may be inserted in the bushing 61 in place of the conventional pin or button 80.

It will be obvious that rotation of the key 79 will operate, through the gearing train described, to move the slide 24 in either desired direction in the frame a0, and that this will effect a transverse movement of the rod 21 at its lower end.

The rod is relatively stiff, being, for example. in the case of the guitar shown in the drawing, of a diameter of three eighths or one halr inch. the rod extends substantially throughout the neck of the instrumentand has its lower end definitely, though adjustably, fixed to the lower portion of the body it constitutes a strengthening device for the entire instrument rimarily resisting the warping tendencies of varying temperat-ure and humidity conditions and also resisting the tendency to distort the neck of the instrument due to tightening of the strings. In addition, the rod and its actuating devices serve as an effective means of control of the relationship between the fret board and the strings, it being possible to deliberately warp the entire instrument to a limited extent in either direct-ion by trans versely shifting the lower end of the rod as described. A fulcrum is provided at the region where the rod passes through the block 81 at the upper part of the body 10. The entire instrument may be gently but firmly sprung or flexed to the desired condition and will remain substantially in this condition until further adjustments are made by the operation of the adjusting key.

In making an adjustment of the device the conventional button 80 is removed and the key T9 is inserted in the bushing 61. The key may then be turned to rotate the worm 75 in either desired direction. The worm movement is translated by the gearing described into a transverse rectilinear movement of the slide. If the slide is moved toward the rear of the body of the instrument the rod, fulcrumming at 81, will flex the neck forwardly to increase the distance between the strings and the fretboard. If the slide is moved toward the front face of the body, the nec will be flexed rearwardly, lessening the distance between the strings and the fret board. "When the desired condition is obtained, the key is removed and the button 80 is restored to position. The worm and pinion transmission serves to hold the slide in adjusted position.

hat is claimed is:

1. The combination with a stringed musical instrument having a neck and body, of a relatively stiff rod confined in the neck and upper body and passing freely through the body and means at the lower end of the body for transversely shifting the rod to flex the neck relatively to the body.

2. The combination with a musical instru ment having a hollow body, an attenuated neck extending therefrom, a head on said neck, frets on said neck and strings extending from the head to the lower body and normally spaced from said frets, of a stiffening and adjusting rod passing confined through the neck and upper body and openly through the hollow body, and key operated means and connections at the lower end of the body adapted to shift the lower end of the rod to relatively flex the neck and body.

3. A stringed instrument comprising a hollow body and an attenuated neck extending from the upper part of the body, a relatively stitt' rod confined in the neck and upper body and passing openly through the body, a slide connected to the lower end of the rod, .1 frame fixed to the lower rim of the body having ways for said slide, gearing for operating said slide, and a key on the outer side of the body for operating said gearing.

4. In a stringed instrument having a hollow body and connected attenuated neck of Wood, a metal rod confined in the neck and passing through the hollow body, and means for moving the body end of the rod to cause it to fulcrum at the union of the neck and body and flex the attenuated neck relatively to the body. 7

5. In a stringed musical instrument having a neck and hollow body substantially of wood,

a metal rod confined in the neck and passing.

through the body, a slide connected to the body end of the rod, a slide frame fixed to the lower body, gearing in said frame for operating the slide, and a key outside the body for operating the gearing.

6. In a stringed musical instrument having a neck and hollow body, a relatively inflexible rod passing substantially through the neck and body longitudinally and confined intermediate the ends of the instrument, and gearing at the lower end of the rod to shift the rod laterally in different directions to cause it to fulcrum at a confined point and flex the neck relatively to the body.

7 In a stringed musical instrument having a neck connected to a hollow body, a metal rod extending through the neck and the hollow body, and an operating device connected to the body end of the rod comprising a frame having side plates forming slide Ways, said plates being held in spaced relation by a block having a projecting threaded sleeve, a slide movable between said plates having a rack, a pinion journalled between said plates and meshing with said rack, a worm journalled in said sleeve and meshing with said pinion, means for securing said frame to the body comprising a bushing in threaded engagement with said sleeve, and a key for rotatively engaging the worm.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

NICOLA TURTURRO. 

